DV's Wagner, Palmer look to outdo accomplished brothers

WESTFALL, Pa. — Matt Wagner and Jalen Palmer are out to prove themselves on Thursday in Hershey, Pa.

BY Sal Interdonato

WESTFALL, Pa. — Matt Wagner and Jalen Palmer are out to prove themselves on Thursday in Hershey, Pa.

Wagner and Palmer will wrestle in their first state tournament at the Giant Center, a place both know well.

Each watched his brother — Marc Wagner and C.J. Palmer — compete for state gold. Both looked up to their brothers while moving up the ranks of Delaware Valley wrestling.

Drilling against their brothers, when both were seniors, was a lesson in brotherly love last season. They took their beatings at times and improved from them each practice.

"When he beat me up, it didn't just give me a mindset," Jalen Palmer said. "It made me a tougher wrestler and taught me not to take any of that during a match and let it all out."

"We are really competitive when we were trying to take each other down," Matt Wagner said. "I always want to have a step up on him."

Wagner and Palmer have their chance. Both strive to better their brothers' state accomplishments.

Jalen Palmer (40-5 this season), a junior, has a tougher task. C.J. Palmer placed third twice.

"I want to get two medals like he has, but I want to place higher than him this year and next year," Jalen Palmer said.

Matt Wagner (42-6), a sophomore, is looking for some bragging rights and the family's first state medal.

"I set my goals on doing better than he did," Wagner said. "He was at the states a couple of times but never placed. I plan on placing in my last three years here and rub it in his face a little bit."

Delaware Valley coach Lou DeLauro said Palmer and Wagner owe their brothers for pushing them to the limits.

"The past two years for Jalen and last year for Matt in the room really helped them out wrestling against their brothers and helped them mature on the mat as well as individuals," DeLauro said. "Without their brothers, they wouldn't be where they are right now on the mat."

The older brothers had some words of wisdom for the first-time state qualifiers.

"He told me just to wrestle tough and not to break down any of your matches," Palmer said. "Everyone is going to be in top-notch shape just like I am. I just have to keep wrestling my match and finish it out."

A finish that hopefully ends up on the medal stand for Wagner and Palmer.